Liana’s POV

The evidence glows on the screen between us, Elia’s voice, trembling and raw, echoing from the tiny laptop speaker.

“Stanley, please. I want out. Let me go. I’ll disappear forever.”

The sound cuts through the glass walls of Stanley’s office like a blade. Outside, the city bleeds gold and shadow, the skyline reflected in the windows of Z-Core Tower. Inside, it’s too quiet. The kind of silence that comes before something shatters.

Stanley leans back in his chair, eyes ...